Chapter 84 - THE KISS
"I'm rather surprised you didn't jump out of the shower naked, Madam,"?Carter said, eyes glowing with wry amusement as he surveyed me from head to toe. My hands automatically tightened around the bath towel securely. A faint trace of a smile tucked at the corner of his lips and it surprisingly filled me with annoying humiliation. It took me an extraordinary amount of self-control not to pounce and rip that playful smile on his lips. He was sitting on the bed after a seemingly difficult ordeal, right arm draped on the headboard and his vacant hand held a 'now empty baby bottle. There beside him, surrounded with pillows, and peacefully drifting into slumber is my daughter who nearly turned the whole room upside down with her fits.
Carter was still laughing at my expense when my gaze shifted back to his sparkling eyes. I tilted my chin defiantly in a display of false bravado before I retorted evenly, "By how violent you pounded the door a while ago, I'm rather surprised that the hinges didn't?fall off, Sir." A wave of satisfaction seeped through me when his cheeks burned. I successfully reminded him of his panicky reaction when Faith Vienne wouldn't stop crying. It was now my turn to be amused. I imitated the wry smile on his lips and watched as he tried to hide his embarrassment with a frown.
Before he could think of a quick response, I hurriedly moved to the safety of the bathroom, leaving his mouth agape in astonishment. Before I reached the door, I felt his hot gaze upon my skin, spreading a tingling sensation on my nape. I hastily stepped inside and winced when the door slammed with more force than required. I was able to let go a huge sigh of relief when I was enclosed back into the bathroom privacy. When my gaze accidentally shifted on the mirror, my reflection made me cringe. Shampoo residue still bubbled on my hair and there on my shoulders a lather of soap was left unrinsed.
I groaned in frustration. I stripped the towel, hung it on the rack beside Carter's used bath towel, and moved under the shower. The warmth seeped through my skin, the calming effect on my nerves made me close my eyes. The fact that Carter was there on the bed made me want to stay in the bathroom for the rest of the night. Realizing I was taking so much time under the shower, I turned it off. A few minutes later I was comfortably wearing my nightwear on.?My hair had dried after blow-drying, it draped behind my back like a cape as I hastily moved to the door. I took a deep steadying breath before pulling it open. My eyes softened seeing that Carter was sleeping on his side, Faith Vienne curled to his chest while his arms protectively around her.
I turned the lights off and turned the lampshade on before carefully climbing on the bed. For a few minutes, I just sat there while leaning on the headboard, staring unblinkingly at Carter's soft features. He looked ethereal in his sleep and for some reason he reminded me of a sleeping deity. My heavy eyelids fluttered close before I finally succumbed to slumber, I pulled the covers to Carter's waist and laid my head to the pillow, and drifted to the magical portals of dreamland.
***
Blood... There was blood flowing out of my broken skull. The pristine white long sleeve I wore was soaked with blood too. The wound in my head throbbed badly. I ignored the pain and fought the dizziness while trying to identify my surroundings.
The room I was in was so dark that I could barely see anything at first. I squinted my eyes at the corners and scanned the room until my vision finally adjusted to the available light from the weak moonlight permeating the glass window.
A soft whisper of movement at the foot of the bed caught my attention. Seated on the bed was a stunning woman with sharp features and titian wavy hair framing her small face. She wore a white virginal wedding gown—her fingers clad in white gloves were stained with fresh blood—my blood to be exact.
The woman sat on the bed with the elegance of a queen. Her head tilted into an angle as if a photographer was just about to capture her prenup photos. But instead of holding a fresh bouquet in her hands, she was tightly clutching a gun around her long fingers.
"You're awake," She said in a tone that could have frozen the depths of the underworld with its coldness. She rose from the bed and slowly walked towards me. Fierce fear gripped my heart when her empty cold eyes delved to mine.
The events seem fast forward now.
Helplessly, I watched as the woman lift the gun and aimed it in my direction. There was not even a slight trace of remorse on her empty eyes as her fingers slowly moved to the trigger. I closed my eyes, wrapped my arms protectively around my womb. This must be my end.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
I lost track of everything. Amid the loud shattering of glass, I felt excruciating pain around my chest, there was blood…. So much blood.
Then I was falling down the fifth floor of the building. The feeling was like falling down the Ferris wheel, except it was ten times worse and dreadful. I closed my eyes in resignation. I now let fate decide if I deserve to live or not.
***
Beatrix! Beatrix!
Wake up! Wake up!
My eyes snapped open. It's just a dream, a dreadful nightmare. Carter's worried eyes pierced through mine. His hands fearfully grabbed my shoulders in panic. "Are you okay?" He whispered weakly, his voice trembling from the intensity of his emotions.
I can't seem to summon my voice to respond. Instead, I just shook my head vigorously, tears blurring my vision. He pulled me into his chest. I didn't protest and buried my head on the crook of his neck.
A muffled sob erupted in my throat when the embers of the dream drifted back to my thoughts. No matter how I tried to tell myself it's a dream it gave me no consolation. I know deep within me that it's not just a dream but a fragment of a forgotten memory.
"I'm here Beatrix. Please stop crying." He whispered to my ears. His arms sneaked around my waist protectively as if he feared someone would take me away from him. He pulled me closer until I could hear the violent thump of his heart. "It's just a nightmare, Beatrix." He assured me, pressing the warmth of his lips into my temples.
I shook my head. I didn't stop crying. Instead, my cries intensified. How could I explain to him that dream wasn't only a dream but a real traumatic experience from my past? Carter's hands moved around my face to wipe the beads of sweat on my forehead using his palms before it moved to my cheeks to dry my tears. "I will never allow anyone to hurt you. They must kill me first before I would allow them." He vowed. His palms moved behind my back in a reassuring manner.
My palms slither around the crook of his neck and I buried my nose into his throat. He smells so damn good that I closed my eyes while savoring his sweet natural scent. The smell of aftershave still clung to his throat and it comforted me somehow. The stiffness on my shoulder loosened and I feel myself gradually calm down.
He buried his nose into my hair. The simple gesture sent sparks flying around me. He didn't seem to mind my heavy weight as I lay on top of him. No one moved to pull away in fear to shatter the magical moment.?For a long time, he allowed me to lie on top of him while tangled in each other's arms like real lovers.
I listened to the drumming sound of his heart, it sounded as a beautiful song for me and it matches the rhythm of my own. "Carter?" I whispered. He didn't move. I assumed he fell asleep and I lifted my head to his.
He was wide awake, I realized when my eyes landed to the depths of his exquisite blue eyes. Desire turned his eyes into a brighter shade. He crossed the tiny distance between us until his nose touched mine.
The time stopped turning when his lips captured mine. His mouth was warm, soft, and wet.?He deliciously tastes like mint. I parted my lips to allow invasion. A deep groan emerges from his mouth when I begin to respond with equal ardor. He pulled me upward until I was seated astride his hips while his arms slither on my narrow waist trying to pull me as close as possible. In return my arms moved to his hair, brushing my trembling palms into his scalp.
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